Invasion of the trees

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NAMPA, Idaho (KBOI) - Nestled at the corner of Sugar Drive and Victory Road in Nampa, you'll find a quaint cluster of apartment buildings. Take a look outback and you'll find trees, overgrown, knocking down large sections of the fence.

"We called the city of Nampa because it's in Nampa’s jurisdiction and they tell us it's not their issue because it's Union Pacific Railroad. We call Union Pacific Railroad and they say it's not their issue because they've leased the property out to another company to use the railroad tracks and everything else," property manager Travis Hamilton said.

That railroad company is Boise Valley Railroad. It leases union pacific tracks from Wilder all the way past east of Boise.

"The last time we contacted them they said ‘Yea, we'll get right on it,’ and nothing ever happened. Now we call them back and we just have to leave a message. It's been going on for 3 years consistently," Hamilton said.

Examining the fence line it does appear the issue has been going on for some time. At one point, you can see a tree that grew around the top of part of the fence. The board is inside the tree.

I reached out to Union Pacific which owns the tracks. Spokesman Aaron Hunt sent me an email which reads in part; “If indeed the property is leased by the Boise Valley Railroad, it would be the responsibility of that railroad to handle this issue."

So I sent emails to Boise Valley Railroad and left messages to three key contacts with the company. After more than 24 hours, BVRR finally got back to me. Their response was “no comment.”

Back at the complex, it appears to be a potentially dangerous situation. There’s a sidewalk that runs along the fence in a few places. On the day I was on the property I witnessed toys and a bike that clearly are meant for a young child.

The trees are also advancing. One tree is heading for one of the units it’s now just a few feet from the corner of a roof.

"Our next option is going to court and taking it through the court to get it resolved and going back through the years of their damage. You know the damage from their property onto ours, that's our only other option," Hamilton said.